Double container construction for hospital use

ABSTRACT

A double-liquid-container construction and accessories usable in urinary tract drainage systems, by way of example, for permitting measurements of successive volumes of drained liquid during preselected time spans. An interior container is disposed within an exterior container, the first being graduated and provided with valved outlet means for drainage of the subject liquid into the second container. Improved strap facilitates drainage tube erection and over-all bottle support from an overhead bracket, or the like. Single and double bacterial traps are included within the structure.

United States Patent [191 Holbrook 1 DOUBLE CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION FORHOSPITAL USE [75] inventor: Le Grand K. Holbrook, SaltLake City, Utah[73] Assignee: Medical Development Corporation,

Salt Lake City, Utah [22] Filed: Aug. 25, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 174,669

[52] US. Cl. ....128/2 F, 128/295 [51] Int. Cl. ..A6lb 19/00 [58] Fieldof Search ..128/2 F, 2 R, 275,

128/295, DIG. 24; 73/429 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS10/1967 Coanda ..128/2F 3/1970 Lane ..l28/2F 1 Apr. 17, 1973 Linzer etal. ..128/2 F Villari ..l28/2 F Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. TrappAttorney-M. Ralph Shaffer 5 7 ABSTRACT A double-liquid-containerconstruction and accessories usable in urinary tract drainage systems,by way of example, for permitting measurements of successive volumes ofdrained liquid during pre-selected time spans. An interior container isdisposed within an exterior container, the first being, graduated andprovided with valved outlet means for drainage of the subject liquidinto the second container. Improved strap facilitates drainage tubeerection and over-all bottle support from an overhead] bracket, or thelike. Single and double bacterial traps are included within thestructure.

8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEB APR 1 H975 sum 1 or z FIG/3INVENTOR LegrandK Ho/broo/r ffigd/ In I" His Afforney PATENTEUAPR] 7197sSHEET 2 BF 2 m T N E V m Legrand/(Ho/broo/r W W His Attorney FIG. 9

DOUBLE CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION FOR HOSPITAL USE The present inventionrelates to medical supplies for hospitals and, more particularly,provides a double container fluid bottle suitable for receiving urinarytract drainage liquid, for example, from hospitalized patients. a

In many instances, there is required for hospital use some type ofvessel which may be constructed to store successive, separatelymeasurable, storage charges of liquid such as liquid released duringurinary tract drainage of hospitalized patients. What is needed, theinventor has discovered, is a valved container-within-acontainerapproach. Thus, where interior and exterior containers are used, bothbeing transparent, with the first being graduated valved for periodicflow into the second, then the interior graduated container may be usedto measure the amount of fluid or liquid drained within a given intervalof time into such structure. After a pre-determined time period haselapsed, then the nurse or other medical personnel, by the structure ofthe interior container such as the same escapes into the lowermost partof the outermost container utilized. The

latter can be capped or its outlet tube pinched off, to accommodateintermittent storage and final drainage into a pail or other wastedisposal vessel.

The present invention affords a double-container approach, with thefirstor interior container being graduated and being disposedv above thebottle of the second or exterior container. The uppermost or graduatedcontainer is provided with an actuatable stem-type valve which can beselectively actuated to drain the interior container.

Preferably, the bottom of the interior container is canted or sloped sothat a complete drainage to the valving portion thereof may beaccommodated.

A suitable support strap is provided for single or preferably adouble-lock support over a bracket or other support object. The strap isalso provided with an aperture providing a through-routing of a drainagehose or conduit connected to thesystem. A tortuous path is provided as abacteria trap, preferably both interiorly of the bottle or containerstructure, and also exteriorly thereof, proximate the fluid drainageinlet to the bottle. A suitable, filter air intake is likewise suppliedthe bottle to accommodate escape of air from the bottle as liquid isbeing introduced therein. An antisplash tube is incorporated within theinterior container and is supported by the lid thereof, this to preventfoaming proximate the lower most region of the interior graduatedcontainer.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide anew and improved, double container bottle structure for medical uses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedsupport means for fluid containers to be supported from a projectionsuch as a bracket.

An additional object is to provide a bottle or container structuresuitable for periodically measuring drainage from urinary tractsofhospitalized persons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double containerstructure, i.e., a valved interior container disposed completely withinan exterior container, and

this such that the interior container may be used to measure successiveamounts of fluid immediately prior to drainage of such successiveamounts into the lowermost region of the exterior container.

A further object is to provide single and preferably double bacteriatraps for hospital drainage bottles, this such that a trap is disposableinterior of the bottle and also exterior thereto proximate the fluidadmittance port of the construction.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further object and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa bottle or container constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention; for convenienceof illustration the support strap thereof is shown in fragmentary view.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a portion of the structurerelating to the lid in FIG. 1, such structure providing air access tothe interior of the composite bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support strap shown in fragmentaryview in FIG. 1; for convenience of illustration the non-developedextensions of the support strap are illustrated in phantom line, thesolid lines showing the two ends of the support strap being securedtogether in a double-locked juncture.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail illustrating a representativeoutlet for the outer container of the structure, FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, principally in section, of thefluid inlet port utilized in the present invention, see the upperleft-hand portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a section view, shown in reduced scale relative to FIG. 5,illustrating that fluid inlet portion of the lid structure whichcooperates with the lower part of FIG. 5, leading thereto. i

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail, shown in section, of the interior of thecontainer enclosure; in FIG. 7, the rod .valve is closed such that fluidL is contained within the interior container.

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 .but illustrates the manner in which fluidis drained from the interior container into the exterior container.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the interior plate used in the structure bywhich the interior container is supported by the exterior container.

will be noted that the interior of the connector 24, see

FIG. 5, is spaced from the end of hose or conduit 22. This is for thepurpose of providing a trap or tortuous path such that bacteria will notcreep past the juncture of the connector and conduit. A flexible sleeve27 is pressed over the lower stem 28 of connector 24, see FIG. 1. Port14 may be tapered in the usual manner.

Supporting the container is a container strap 30, the same including aring portion 31, and upper strap members 32 and 33. Upper strap member32 includes two T-configured slots 34 and 35, whereas upper strap member33 includes opposite side notches 36 and 37. Notches 36 and 37 inessence form insert tabs 38 and 39 which are contiguous as illustratedand which fit together in a double lock in the manner illustrated inslotted line configuration at 40 in FIG. 3.

Accordingly, the side of the bottle may be tapered and the strap may beformed of polyethylene and be cylindrical, by way of example, so thatthe strap will either frictionally and wedgingly engage the container-or be disposed underneath a provided shoulder 41 thereof to support thesame. The double locking feature of the strap as shown in FIG. 3 isdeemed important and provides a positive connection whereby thecontainer may be suspended for a suitable support.

Disposed at the bottom of the structure shown in FIG. 1 is a tube 42which is inserted in container aperture 43 and may be provided with theusual on-off shut off clip 45. The latter is conventional in form and isshown simply schematically in FIG. 4. The tube 42 it self is insertedthrough aperture 43, see FIG. 4, to be disposed in communication withthe bottom 44 of the container 11.

FIG. 5 is a further illustration of the upper portion of the structureat 24, illustrating that the doubled-back configurement at 46 and 47relative to member 24 provides a tortuous path which is least likely toprovide a bacterial path between connector 24 and the tubing at I 22. Inmedical practice it is believed, and there is substantial evidence toconfirm this belief, that bacteria is most likely to travel along astraight path and is least likely to travel along a tortuous ordoubled-back path. It is the doubled-back path provided in the upperportion of FIG. 5 which is deemed of importance. Likewise, in .factthere may be provided a second trap so that the structure is provided adouble bacterial trap, by virtue of the structureshown in both FIGS. 5and 6. In FIG. 6 the lid 12 now includes the upstanding port 28,corresponding to port 14 as before described, which port preferablyincludes a depending extension 48 and also transversely arcuately curvedfingers 49 and 50. The latter serve as spread-type mounting elements formounting a flexible, depending, anti-splash tube 51. It is seen thathere again there is provided a tortuous path as between the interior oftube 51 beneath extremity E and the interior portion leading arcuatelyaround area 53 to such extremity E. Thus, there is an effectivedoubled-backbacteria trap in connection with each structure shown inFIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 shows in sectional view the interior of the container l1.Specifically, and see also FIG. 9, the same may include an upper plate54 which is perforate at 55, 56 and 57. The first two perforations arefor air access and also fluid overflow from the inner container, whereasthe last aperture, aperture 57 is.for the purpose of receiving andmounting a depending graduated tube or inner container 58. Interiorgraduated container 58 is graduated at 59 in desired volume increments.Portion 60 of plate 54 includes upstanding rib 61 serving essentially asa track upon which the lower extremity E of FIG. 2 can ride or at leastcan rest. It will be noted that there will be air communication as inFIG. 7. In any event, a tubular cylinder 65 will be sealed to the bottleinterior at 66 and likewise sealed within an aperture 67 of the interiorcontainer. A rod 68 includes an arcuate handle 69 which can beselectively withdrawn, as shown in FIG. 8, or returned to its originalposition as illustrated in FIG. 7. Rod 68 serves as a valve whichconfines a liquid L in the interior container as shown in FIG. 7, orwhich allows the same to escape as through wall aperture 71 in tube 65,as shown in FIG. 8.

In operation, the subject bottle ideally serves as a urinary tractdrainage system, with hose 22 being routed to a patient and alsoconnected to the container as shown, see FIG. 1. By gravity flow, liquidpasses through the hose or tubing 22 down past the doubletrap heretoforeexplained to the interior of graduated interior container 58. With therod type valve closed, as shown in FIG. 7, the fluid of course isconfined within the graduated cylinder 58 and, since both innercontainer 58 and outer container 11 are transparent, manufactured bytransparent polyethelene, for example, the graduations 59 canconveniently be read from the exterior.

Accordingly, over given time intervals, the specific amount of drainagethat is involved can be conveniently read. Thereafter, the user maysimply withdraw the plunger or rod 68 by withdrawing upon handle 69, seeFIGS. 7 and 8, so that liquid falls in the direction of the arrow shownin FIG. 8 to the bottom of the bottle. The tube closure or clip 45 isretained closed until the user medical personnel wish to drain thebottom of the unit, at which time the closure is opened and a suitablevessel provided underneath the outer extremity of the hose 42 in FIG. 4,so as to withdraw the contents within the larger vessel, that is withincontainer 1 1.

Accordingly, the structure provides for a periodic readings ofintermittent drainages of urinary tract liquid, thus to compare volumesfor given time spans, and with the intermittent volumes beingintermittently measurable and subsequently released to a generalreservoir as provided at R (see FIG. 1) within the outer container 11 orfor ultimate drainage from outlet tube 42.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and within the true spirit and scopeof the invention.

I claim:

1. A medical, double-container bottle construction for recovering bodyfluid, including, in combination, an outer container, a lid fitted toand over said outer container, a graduated inner container disposedwithin said outer container beneath said lid and supported above thebottom of said outer container, said lid including a valved outlet forselectively passing fluid to said outer container, and means connectedto said valved outlet for selectively actuating the same from a positionexterior of said outer container.

2. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said inner containerincludes a fluid outlet aperture, said outer container having aside-wall aperture, tubular means bridging said inner and outercontainers and sealingly interconnecting said apertures thereof, saidtubular means including a fluid escape aperture, valve means disposed insaid tubular means and constructed, upon manual actuation thereof, forselectively permitting fluid within said inner container to escapetherefrom, passing via said tubular means out said fluid escapeaperture. 1

3. The bottle construction of claim 2 wherein said valve means comprisesa reciprocal rod slideably and sealingly engaging said tubular means.

4. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said inner and outercontainers are transparent.

5. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said outer containerincludes a transverse plate, said plate being provided with an aperturecontiguous with said graduated inner container and also with overflowaperture means communicating with said outer container.

6. The bottle construction of claim 5 wherein said plate includes anupstanding, continuous, weir, said lid including an air inlet porthaving a lower extremity disposed proximate to and within the areabounded by said weir, but being spaced above said plate for aircommunication.

7. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said lid includes an airinlet port, and an elbow secured to said air inlet port and beingprovided with an air filter member proximate the outermost extremity ofsaid elbow.

8. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said inner and outercontainers are transparent, said rod including thumb and finger grippingmeans disposed exterior of said outer container and engaging the outersurface of the latter when said valved outlet is closed.

1. A medical, double-container bottle construction for recovering bodyfluid, including, in combination, an outer container, a lid fitted toand over said outer container, a graduated inner container disposedwithin said outer container beneath said lid and supported above thebottom of said outer container, said lid including a fluid inlet portdisposed in registry with said graduated inner container, said interiorcontainer including a valved outlet for selectively passing fluid tosaid outer container, and means connected to said valved outlet forselectively actuating the same from a position exterior of said outercontainer.
 2. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said innercontainer includes a fluid outlet aperture, said outer container havinga side-wall aperture, tubular means bridging said inner and outercontainers and sealingly interconnecting said apertures thereof, saidtubular means including a fluid escape aperture, valve means disposed insaid tubular means and constructed, upon manual actuation thereof, forselectively permitting fluid within said inner container to escapetherefrom, passing via said tubular means out said fluid escapeaperture.
 3. The bottle construction of claim 2 wherein said valve meanscomprises a reciprocal rod slideably and sealingly engaging said tubularmeans.
 4. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said inner andouter containers are transparent.
 5. The bottle construction of claim 1wherein said outer container includes a transverse plate, said platebeing provided with an aperture contiguous with said graduated innercontainer and also with overflow aperture means communicating with saidouter container.
 6. The bottle construction of claim 5 wherein saidplate includes an upstanding, continuous, weir, said lid including anair inleT port having a lower extremity disposed proximate to and withinthe area bounded by said weir, but being spaced above said plate for aircommunication.
 7. The bottle construction of claim 1 wherein said lidincludes an air inlet port, and an elbow secured to said air inlet portand being provided with an air filter member proximate the outermostextremity of said elbow.
 8. The bottle construction of claim 1 whereinsaid inner and outer containers are transparent, said rod includingthumb and finger gripping means disposed exterior of said outercontainer and engaging the outer surface of the latter when said valvedoutlet is closed.